The Euphrates Stone
by Deana
Summary: Someone wants the Euphrates Stone, which the Medjai have always guarded. He will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means people's lives. The problem is, Ardeth Bay no longer has it.......Takes place after Wrath's Return and One Thing After Another


The Euphrates Stone

The Euphrates Stone

A Mummy Story

By Deana Lisi 

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from The Mummy, (boo hoo) except for Safti, Adranji, and Suhaylah, and of course I made up the 'Euphrates Stone' so that's mine too. 

I wanted to say 'shukran' to everyone who told me they liked 'Wrath's Return' and 'One Thing After Another'! 

"It hasn't been this cold in _years_!" Evy exclaimed, as they quickly ran into the house and shut the door.

"New rule," said Rick. "No more restaurants in the winter. We'll cook our _own_ dinner."

"I second that!" said Jonathan, hugging himself and doing a little jig for warmth. He practically danced over to the fireplace to light it.

"Brrr," Evy said.

"_I_ can keep you warm," Rick said flirtingly, wrapping his arms around his wife. 

She giggled and hugged him back. "I'll go make some tea," she said. "That'll warm us up quick."

Rick nodded and let go of her. He watched as she left the room, still wearing her coat. Thinking back to his life before he met her, he still found it hard to believe that he was married to a wonderful woman and living in a huge gorgeous house in England. He sighed contentedly.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Rick wondered who'd be out on a night like this as he opened it, and was not prepared for who walked —or, rather, stumbled— in. 

"Ardeth!" Rick said, grabbing his arm.

Jonathan dropped the fireplace poker, and hurried over.

"Evy! Come in here!" Rick yelled, as he and Jonathan brought Ardeth over to a chair by the fire.

Evy ran in. "Oh my!" she said, surprised. "Rick, get—"

She didn't have to finish her sentence, for Rick had already grabbed the blanket draped on the couch and threw it around the shivering Med-jai.

Evy put her gloves back on and grabbed Ardeth's hands, rubbing them between hers one at a time.

"Jonathan! Go get that tea!"

He ran to do her bidding.

"Ardeth, what're you doing all the way out here?" Rick asked.

"Not now, Rick," said Evy. "He's half frozen!"

Rick nodded, and ran off to find another blanket.

Jonathan came back a minute later with the tea, nearly tripping in his haste. He poured some and handed it to Evy, who placed the warm mug in Ardeth's hands, and helped him bring it to his lips, for he was shivering so badly she was afraid he'd spill it.

Rick came back with more blankets, and he and Jonathan wrapped them around him as Evy poured more tea.

They stood there watching as Ardeth drank it, relieved when they saw some color come back into his face.

Ardeth finally tried to speak. "I did not realize…it was winter."

"Bet you never experienced cold like _this_ before, eh chum?" Jonathan said, relieved that he seemed to be all right.

Ardeth shook his head, tried to burrow deeper into the blankets, blinking his eyes sleepily.

"Jonathan, would you go light the fire in the guest bedroom? We should get him to bed."

Jonathan nodded and ran off.

Ardeth made no protest as Evy and Rick pulled him out of the chair and brought him to the room. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, and they removed his weapons, boots, and turban. Then the three of them just stood there, watching him, wondering what had brought him there.

"I hope it's not another mummy," Rick said, with a sigh.

"If it is, we'd better make sure we bring Cleo," said Jonathan.

Evy shuddered at the memory. "Keep in mind what I said last time, Rick."

"What's that?"

"If I get turned into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after."

************

The next morning, Ardeth woke up feeling so comfortable that he didn't want to move. He just laid there enjoying the softness under him, not realizing until a few minutes later that the reason for his comfort was because he wasn't sleeping on hard sand. He remembered where he was and opened his eyes to see Evy sitting in a nearby chair and Rick talking quietly to her. Evy smiled and put up her hand to Rick to shush him.

"Ardeth! Sabah al-hayri!"

Ardeth couldn't help but smile. "Sabah al-hayri." 

"If that means 'good morning', then ditto," said Rick.

Ardeth nodded, and sat up. The bed was piled high with blankets, and he saw the raging fire in the fireplace. The sight brought back what had happened the previous night. Some of it, anyway.

"I am sorry to have barged into your home," he said.

"'Barged' in? Ardeth, you're welcome here _any_ time!" said Evy.

"This wasn't a planned trip though, was it?" Rick said. "Seeing that you have nothing with you."

Ardeth shook his head. "I arrived while you were out, and waited for you to return."

Evy's eyes grew wide. "You waited outside? For how long?" she asked, remembering that they'd lingered as long as possible in the restaurant to delay going back out into the cold. 

Ardeth frowned, and shook his head, not remembering.

"You could've frozen to death! The temperature was unbearable last night, and you weren't even dressed for the weather!"

"I did not realize it was winter," Ardeth said.

"Yeah, you said that last night," said Rick.

Ardeth frowned, not remembering _that_ either. All he knew was that he'd never before known the feeling of utter numbness brought on by extreme cold, and it both surprised and amazed him.

"Why didn't you break in?" Evy asked.

Ardeth looked at her like that was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. "I would never damage your home."

"I would rather have a damaged home then a frozen friend!" she said. "Ardeth, you have my permission to break into this house whenever you need to!"

Rick nodded at Ardeth, agreeing, but trying not to laugh at Evy's words.

Ardeth smiled at the silliness of the conversation. "Shukran, sadiqis. If I ever need to, I will try to do so without causing any damage."

Evy smiled, and stood. "Wonderful! I'm glad that's settled. Now, you must be starving! Come and we'll have breakfast."

************

After they ate, they settled in the living room before the fire.

"Okay," said Evy. "_Now_ you can tell us the problem." She'd insisted at breakfast that they enjoy a nice tranquil meal before discussing the latest crisis. Ardeth had appreciated her attempt at trying to institute calm, before the storm erupted. 

Ardeth sighed before he spoke. "The Euphrates Stone."

Evy frowned, and she, Rick, and Jonathan —who'd actually dragged his lazy bones out of bed— exchanged glances.

"Do you need it?" Evy asked.

Ardeth sighed again. "It appears that I do."

"What's happened?" Rick asked seriously, concerned that Ardeth's usually unflappable demeanor seemed…flapped.

"There is someone who wants it."

Jonathan huffed. "Well tell 'em he can bloody well go find _another_ stone to play with."

Ardeth looked at him, and Rick could see in his eyes the emotions the Med-jai was feeling. He knew that whatever had happened, it had been bad.

"They attacked us, and took the women," Ardeth told them.

Evy gasped, and covered her mouth. 

Ardeth went on. "The leader confronted me, knowing that we guarded the Stone. He told me that if I did not give it to him, he would kill them all."

"Oh no!" Evy exclaimed. "Did you tell him that you don't have it?"

Ardeth nodded.

"What did he say?" Rick asked.

"He said that I had better get it if I want them back."

Rick could see that there was more. "And?"

Ardeth sighed yet again. "He said, 'In that case, maybe I'll find it before you, and kill them anyway'."

Evy shook her head in shock.

"So you see, my friends, I had to get to you before they did."

Rick nodded. "Of course, Ardeth, you can have the Stone."

Ardeth looked indecisive. 

"What is it?" Rick asked.

"I needed to get to you before they did to ensure your safety, not to merely get the Stone. I am not sure that we _should_ give it to them."

"What?" Jonathan blurted out, looking at Ardeth with a shocked expression.

"I think I see what Ardeth means," said Evy.

"What?" Jonathan said again, looking at her now.

"What does he want it for? Who is 'he' anyway?" said Rick.

"Exactly, Rick! What does he want it for?" said Evy.

"His name is Hyksos Hut-waretand that is what I fear also, why he wants it."

"Okay," said Rick. "What's the _whole_ background behind this thing, don't tell me it has anything to do with a mummy."

Ardeth shook his head."It was a jewel owned by Queen Hatshepshut, it is said that she found it in the Euphrates River. That is all that was ever said about it. It is naturally of great value because of its age and who it belonged to."

"He must want it to sell! What a greedy scoundrel!" Evy said, then she laughed. "His name suits him!"

"Huh?" Rick said.

"'Hut-waret' is Egyptian for 'avarice'," Ardeth told him. "Greed."

"Ah. So what do we do now?"

Ardeth sighed. "You must come with me to Egypt, it is the only way you will be safe from them. If they find out you have it, and come here, they will kill you."

"I _knew_ you were gonna say that!" said Jonathan. 

************

"Here it is."

Evy opened a jewel case, and handed it to Ardeth. Jonathan couldn't help but whistle, even though he'd seen it a million times. The stunning sky-blue jewel was absolutely exquisite. 

Ardeth studied it, his expression unreadable. He sighed and closed the case, sticking it into an unseen pocket deep within his robes. "How quickly can you be ready?"

Evy blinked. "Uh, umm..." she looked around, then quickly ran towards the bedrooms.

Rick laughed. "That's 'girl' for, 'oh no, what should I bring?' "

Ardeth smiled slightly.

Jonathan came over to Ardeth. "Here, try this on."

Ardeth looked at the coat Jonathan was holding out towards him. 

"We don't want you getting hypothermic again, old boy," Jonathan said. 

Ardeth tried it, but it didn't quite close around his robes.

"Drat," Jonathan muttered, and ran off again.

Rick shook his head. "I'll go make sure Evy isn't trying to bring her whole closet."

Ardeth nodded, and walked over to the window. What he saw shocked him; everything was blanketed in white. _Snow_, Ardeth thought. While it had been bitterly cold last night, there had been none at the time. He was amazed by the brightness of it. 

"Never seen snow, ehh?" Jonathan said, appearing again beside him.

Ardeth shook his head.

"Am I right in assuming that you don't know what a snowball is then?"

Ardeth looked at him, confused.

Jonathan broke into a huge grin, saying nothing.

Rick and Evy appeared, Rick carrying way too many suitcases. Ardeth and Jonathan knew why.

"Okay," Rick said, throwing a glance at Evy. "I _think_ we're ready."

************

As they walked outside, Rick heard a string of Arabic come from behind him and turned to see Ardeth —bundled up in everything they could find that fit him— trying to keep his balance, finally grabbing at the side of the house.

Evy tried not to laugh as she went over and took his arm. "It's ice, Ardeth, very slippery!"

Ardeth nodded, watching in amazement as his breath froze in the air. He allowed her to pull him away from the side of the house, and they slowly started to walk, when suddenly a snowball came out of nowhere, smacking Ardeth on the side of his head. He wasn't ready for it, naturally, and slipped and fell in the snow, Evy going down with him. 

Evy busted out laughing as they sat in the snow, and she grabbed some, rolled it up, and threw it back at Jonathan, who ducked in time. 

Rick went over to them, laughing himself, never thinking he'd ever see a sight like that. Ardeth Bay, super-dignified leader of the Med-jai, conquered by frozen precipitation.He frowned at the wince on Ardeth's face. 

"You okay?" he asked.

Ardeth nodded, and tried to brush the snow off his shoulder. It was a waste of time, for another snowball came his way, smacking him where he'd just wiped it off. 

Jonathan stood there laughing hysterically.

Ardeth picked up some snow, and rolled it up the way he'd seen Evy'd done. He threw it at Jonathan, who was laughing so hard he didn't see it coming. It smacked him right in the face, and he gasped and started sputtering.

Ardeth started laughing, making Evy and Rick start up again. Rick pulled Evy up off the ground, and held his hand out again to Ardeth.

Ardeth took it and got up slowly, wincing again, and Rick figured out why. He sure knew what a bruised tailbone felt like, —having grown up in Chicago—and he almost laughed, but suddenly a missile-sized snowball smacked Ardeth in the chest, sending him back to the snowy ground with a grunt, definitely adding to the bruise.

Rick turned around. "_Jonathan!_ Leave the guy alone, he's not used to this! What's the matter with you?"

Jonathan had a smirk on his face, but it quickly fled when he saw that he'd hurt his friend. He ran over.

"I say, I'm sorry old boy." He grabbed Ardeth's other arm and they pulled him up. Jonathan didn't see the fistful of snow Ardeth held until it was too late.

As Jonathan brushed the snow off his chest, he said, "Well, at least you didn't aim for my face _that_ time."

"Next time you may not be so fortunate," Ardeth said, smiling. Suddenly his expression changed.

"What?" Jonathan looked around to see that snow was falling. He looked back at Ardeth to see what almost looked like awe on the Med-jai's face as he watched the flakes fall.

Evy laughed, at Ardeth's expression of wonder. He looked like a little child.

Rick smiled, shaking his head. "Ardeth, you _definitely_ need to get out more."

************

When they stepped off the boat in Cairo, Ardeth sighed in relief. The heat felt good compared to the biting cold in England. He couldn't imagine why someone would willingly live in such a cold climate, but then again, the desert got so unbearably hot that his friends probably wondered how _he_ could live _there_. 

Rick, Evy, and Jonathan followed Ardeth through the crowds. Suddenly another Med-jai appeared before them, and Ardeth grasped his arm in greeting. 

"I am relieved that you all arrived safely," the Med-jai said.

"Safti!" said Evy.

The Med-jai pulled the shroud from his face, and Evy grabbed him in a hug.

"It's good to see you, Safti!" she said, and stepped back. "How have you been?" She noticed that the smile on his face was forced.

"Oh no," she said.

Safti nodded. "My wife was one of those taken." 

Rick shook Safti's hand, with a sympathetic look. "We brought the Stone. If Ardeth has to give it to the jerk to get them all back, it's a small price to pay."

Safti tried to smile again. "Shukran. I just hope…" he stopped, with a sigh.

Ardeth put a hand on his shoulder. "We will get them back, sadiqi. _All_ of them." 

Safti nodded, and they continued on their way.

************

"Do you think it'll work?" Rick asked Ardeth, who'd just shared an idea with them.

Ardeth sighed. "It is possible. Hut-waret does not know _exactly_ what the Stone looks like, he would not find out he has a fake until it is too late."

"But then what'll you do when he _does_ find out, and comes back for revenge?" Jonathan asked.

"We can _not_ let them live!" Safti nearly shouted.

Ardeth put a calming hand on his friend's arm. "He will not simply take the jewel and leave. There will be a battle and _we_ will win it. But we must not give him the real Stone, or it may become lost."

"Or snatched by someone who gets away," said Rick.

Ardeth nodded as they stopped in front of a small store. 

"Are you sure you can trust this man?" Evy whispered to him.

Ardeth smiled inwardly. His foreign friends were the only ones who ever questioned him. He understood why: no one is perfect, and he didn't think himself as such.

Ardeth nodded at her. "He has been of great service to us many times in the past."

Evy nodded, with a still-unsure look on her face as Ardeth went in, followed by Rick. 

"Stay with Safti," her husband told her.

Evy made a face at him and took a step closer to the Med-jai lookout, watching as they went inside. 

Jonathan stuck his hand out to the Med-jai Evy had told him so much about. "I say, my name is Jonathan, I'm Evy's brother."

Safti shook it. "I am Safti, Ardeth's second-in-command."

"Softy?" Jonathan said.

Evy gasped and covered her mouth, giggling. Talk about deja-vu!* 

_That_ brought a real smile to Safti's face, albeit a small one.

************

Ardeth and Rick went over to the counter, where a man stood. He was short, gray haired, looked to be around 50.

Ardeth took the case out of his pocket. "I need a copy made of this," he said, speaking English for Rick's benefit. 

The man's eyes bugged out of his head when he saw the Stone. He took it from Ardeth, looking it over.

"Yes," he said, finding his voice. "I can do that. Color will be slightly off, though."

Ardeth nodded. "That will be fine. I need it as soon as possible."

The man nodded, and closed the case.

Ardeth started to walk back towards the door, and Rick looked to the man, and back to Ardeth again in surprise, then he hurried after his friend.

"You're just gonna _leave_ it with him?!"

Ardeth nodded as they stepped out. "He should have it ready for us in an hour."

"But what if he gives it to the Hut-whatever guy?" Rick asked, as they walked to where Safti, Evy, and Jonathan were getting food from a vendor. 

"He is trustworthy, Rick. Besides, he is being watched."

_That_ made Rick feel better. "Oh, good."

************

"I say, Evy, this would look good on you!" 

Jonathan held up a necklace from one of the vendor stands, and Evy went over to see it. 

"Beautiful!" she said. It was gold, with a ruby red heart-shaped stone.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes!"

"Here you are, my good man," said Jonathan, handing money to the smiling vendor. "And here _you_ are, sis!" 

Evy smiled, "Why, thank you, Jonathan!" she kissed him on the cheek. "How sweet of you!"

A few yards away, Ardeth, Safti, Rick, and one of the Med-jai that had been watching the jeweler stood talking.

"Do you think it's ready yet?"

Ardeth nodded. "After I get them I will ride back out to the encampment to let my people know that I and the Stone are here, and that this ordeal will soon be over." 

Safti perked up at that. "I will accompany you," he said, obviously wanting to find out if there was any word on his wife, which they all knew to be unlikely.

"Will you be coming also?" Ardeth asked Rick. 

He nodded. "Absolutely. There's power in numbers, you know," he said, not having to voice the possibility that they could walk into a trap along the way.

Ardeth smiled at him, and then looked to the other Med-jai. 

"Adranji, you will remain here with Evy and Jonathan," he said, gesturing to the two enthusiastic shoppers.

The young warrior nodded. "Yes, my Chief."

"Keep a close eye on them, huh?" Rick told him.

Adranji nodded, with a slightly puzzled look, probably wondering what difficulty he could possibly have in watching them.

Ardeth and Rick walked back into the jeweler's shop, to see the owner standing in much the same spot he'd been in earlier, as if he hadn't even moved. The case was sitting on the counter, and Ardeth picked it up.

He opened it to see two nearly identical stones. He took out the slightly lighter one, which he knew to be the fake, and studied it closely. He put the case down and took out the real Stone. Their heaviness was almost the same, Ardeth saw. He put the stones back in the case and stuck it back into his pocket, said something to the man in Arabic, and they left.

"He did a good job," Rick said. "I noticed you didn't pay him anything though?"

"He knows he will be paid," was all Ardeth said.

Rick shrugged. "Okay."

They found the horses Adranji had brought for them, and they mounted.

"Hey Ardeth."

Ardeth looked at his friend. "Yes?"

"How'd you know I wanted Evy and Jonathan to stay here?"

Ardeth smiled. "I know you, my friend, and I know them. They will not only be safer here, but they will also get into less trouble."

************

Rick stood off to the side, watching as Ardeth conversed with his men at the camp. Though the mood was quite somber, they seemed very relived to know that Ardeth —with the Stone— had things under control.

"Hut-waret has sent word," said Ardeth, walking back over to Rick. "He is waiting for me."

"Really? Where?"

"The message merely said to head south."

"Could be a trap."

Ardeth nodded. "It could, but we have no choice."

Rick nodded. "Boy, is Evy gonna be mad when she realizes that we left without her."

Ardeth smiled, imagining her reaction.

Safti came running over. "Are we leaving now, Ardeth?"

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, we ride now."

************

"I wonder where they are," said Evy, looking up and down the streets.

"I don't see them either. They're probably devising up a plan," said Jonathan.

Evy looked at her watch. "Oh my! It's afternoon already! They must've gotten the fake stone hours ago." She looked at Adranji, who seemed to be ignoring their conversation.

"Okay," she said to him, crossing her arms. "Spill it."

The warrior looked at her, confused. "'Spill it'?"

"Yes! Tell me where they went!"

"Ah," said Adranji. "They went back to the campsite."

"Without us?!"

"Ardeth merely wanted to let the people know he had returned, with the Stone."

"And Rick and Safti _had_ to go with him," said Evy, not buying it.

Adranji nodded, more then slightly intimidated by the surprisingly bold Englishwoman.

Evy tapped her foot. "I knew it!"

"What?" Jonathan asked.

"They went to do it without us!"

Jonathan's jaw dropped. "You're kidding? Thank God!"

Evy sighed. "Coward. Let's go, I want to find out what happens as soon as possible!"

As they walked by the jeweler's shop, they heard a strangled cry come from inside.

"Evy! Did you hear that?" said Jonathan. 

She nodded and started to run in, but Adranji pulled out his scimitar and went in first.

They heard it again, a weak cry for help. They ran around the counter to see the jeweler lying in a pool of blood on the floor.

"Oh my!" Evy cried out, kneeling next to the man. 

"Thank God!" the jeweler said. "Take this…hurry…tell him…sorry…"

Evy looked at what he'd given her. It was a small vial.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Ant…id…" the man gasped out, before suddenly going limp.

"What'd he say?" Jonathan asked. Adranji shook his head, the dying man's voice having been to soft for him to hear.

"'Ant-id…'," Evy repeated. Her eyes opened wide, and she nearly dropped the vial in shock. "_Antidote!!_"

Adranji snatched the vial, seeing the clear liquid inside. "Come! We must hurry!"

************

Ardeth called a halt to his warriors, who dismounted, glad to take a water break and stretch their legs. They had been riding hard, and it was horribly hot. As much as they wanted to meet up with Hut-waret and get their women back, they knew that they needed all their physical resources in order to fight the inevitable battle.

Rick dismounted and took a swig from his canteen. He saw Ardeth wearily wipe his sleeve across his forehead, and slowly climb down from his horse. He faltered when he touched down, his knees nearly buckling under him.

The sight alarmed Rick, who ran over to him as he rested his forehead against the saddle.

"Ardeth? Are you okay?"

Ardeth straightened up, and nodded. "Yes, I am fine."

Rick grabbed Ardeth's canteen, and handed it to him. "You look pale. Heat must've gotten to you; maybe you should take a rest."

Rick expected Ardeth to shrug it off and refuse, so he was surprised when he nodded. He walked with Ardeth over to his tent —which some of the warriors had put up first, an advantage of being the leader— and went inside.

"Anything you want me to do?" Rick asked his friend.

"I do not think so," Ardeth said, as he sat on the bedroll. "Ask Safti."

Rick nodded, and went to find him. 

Safti was standing at the edge of the campsite, looking to the south.

Rick felt bad for him, knowing what it felt like to have the woman you love ripped from your side. Thankfully, he had gotten Evy back, and he sincerely hoped that his Med-jai friend would too.

Safti turned at his approach.

"Anything you need for me to do?" Rick asked.

Safti thought for a minute, before shaking his head. "Where is Ardeth?"

"Resting."

Safti looked at him, surprised. "Resting?"

"Yeah, I think the heat got to him."

"What? Why do you think that?"

Rick told him what had happened, and Safti started walking towards Ardeth's tent. He opened the flap a little, and they saw that Ardeth was asleep, lying on his side facing the opening.

Safti let go of the flap, and looked at Rick with a puzzled expression. 

"What?" Rick asked. "What's the problem?"

"I have not known Ardeth to sleep during the day."

Rick laughed. "Come on, the guy's tired, obviously. There's a battle ahead of you."

"All the more reason Ardeth would not sleep. He would be doing everything he could to prepare."

Rick sighed. "So what are you saying?"

Safti shook his head. "I do not know, only that I do not have a good feeling."

"Maybe he has a headache," said Rick. "We know he gets headaches. The stress of the situation."

Safti nodded. "Perhaps." 

************

An hour later, everyone was rested and ready to leave again, but Ardeth had not yet awakened. More then a few of them thought it strange.

Rick and Safti looked in on him again, to see him half sitting up, rubbing his eyes. They waited until he looked at them.

Ardeth saw the look on their faces, realized what it meant. "How long was I asleep?"

"Over an hour," Safti said.

Ardeth nodded, and stood. "Are the men ready?"

Safti nodded. 

Ardeth came out of the tent, and everyone started gathering the rest of their things, as a few of the warriors took down their leader's tent.

Ardeth noticed the look Rick and Safti were giving him. "What?" he asked.

"That nap should've made you look better, not worse," Rick said.

_Worse? _Ardeth thought, wondering just what they saw.

"Is it another headache, Ardeth?" Safti asked.

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, just another headache."

Safti nodded and grabbed the reins of Ardeth's horse, pulling it over to him. He and Rick watched as their friend mounted without mishap.

Ardeth gave them a reassuring smile. "Let's ride!"

************

"Which way did they go?" Evy asked. 

"South," said one of the warriors who'd stayed to protect the camp. "Hut-waret sent a message telling them to take that direction."

Evy nodded. "Shukran." 

She climbed back onto her horse, and she, Jonathan, and Adranji galloped off again.

"You didn't tell him, huh?" Jonathan said.

Evy shook her head. "Are you kidding? It would've sent them all into a frenzy and they would've wanted to follow us. We don't have time for that."

Jonathan nodded his head in agreement. 

They spurred the horses on, praying that they would reach them in time.

************

"Ardeth?"

Ardeth felt a hand on his arm, looked to see that it belonged to Rick, who was looking at him oddly.

"What?" he asked.

"Why did you slow us down?"

Ardeth realized that the horses were walking instead of galloping. He frowned, not remembering having slowed.

Safti called a halt to the rest of the Med-jai, figuring it was time for a break anyway.

He and Rick dismounted, and stood next to Ardeth's horse, watching as Ardeth rubbed his aching forehead, eyes closed.

After what seemed like an eternity Rick said, "You gonna stay up there all day?"

Ardeth opened his eyes, looking down at his friends, and suddenly suffered a massive wave of vertigo. This was certainly one of the worst headache episodes that he'd experienced.

Rick and Safti saw him waver in the saddle, and they automatically reached up to help him down. It was a good thing that they did, for they were able to grab him when he nearly fell in a heap on the sand.

They quickly brought him into his tent —which the warriors had put up with lightning speed again— and laid him down. Ardeth lay there unmoving, breathing heavily, half-conscious.

"This is more then just another headache," Safti said, worriedly.

"I know," said Rick. He felt Ardeth's forehead. "He has a fever. Man, of all the times to get sick!"

Safti felt like he was going to cry. First his wife is taken, and on their way to rescue her his leader —his friend— falls ill, now causing a delay in finding her!

Safti sighed heavily, closing his eyes.

Rick knew what he was thinking, but couldn't for the life of him think of anything to say. _Evy would, if she was here._ He suddenly realized that if they hadn't left her in Cairo, she would be here to take care of Ardeth. His wife was good at taking care of sick people, mother hen that she was.

************

"I can't believe they got this far!" said Jonathan, as they continued to ride. It was dark already, and he was thinking they'd _never_ find them.

"Wait!" said Evy. "I think I see a campfire, way off."

Adranji nodded. "Yes, that is the campsite."

"Thank God!" Evy exclaimed. "I hope we made it in time."

************

"Grab him—yeah, great. Hold him there!" said Rick. He was trying to get some water into Ardeth, and he was having a very hard time. The Med-jai Chief was in bad shape. He was delirious with fever, and kept trying to curl up on his side, as if he was in great pain. They couldn't keep him in any other position long enough for Rick to get him to drink the water, before he'd try to curl up again and Safti would let go, afraid to hurt him. Seeing that they were getting nowhere, Safti finally grabbed Ardeth and pinned him down, and Rick was finally able to lift Ardeth's head and get the needed water into him.

When Safti let go, Ardeth immediately curled up again, with a groan. Safti heaved a great sigh, placing a hand on his friend's arm in sympathy—and in fear. He looked at Rick, could see the fear reflected back. 

Suddenly they heard a commotion.

"_Where is he?!_"

"Evy!" said Rick, as she came flying in. He saw that she did not look surprised at all to see Ardeth is such a depleted state. She threw herself to her knees, holding something in her hand.

"Safti, Rick, hold him, he has to drink this!"

"What?" said Rick. 

Adranji knelt beside Safti and reached towards Ardeth, saying something rapidly in Arabic. 

Safti's face registered shock, and he grabbed Ardeth as well, doing what Evy had said. "Let her do it!" he said to Rick.

The three of them held Ardeth still as Evy poured the vial's contents down his throat.

Jonathan stood behind her, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot as he watched.

Evy handed the vial to Safti as they let go and Ardeth curled up again.

A sob caught in Evy's throat at Ardeth's suffering. She murmured soothingly to him, smoothing his hair.

"Will someone please tell me what just happened?" Rick asked, bewildered.

Evy sighed as she wiped Ardeth's forehead with a wet cloth. "He's been poisoned, Rick, that was the antidote."

"What!" said Rick. "Poisoned? By what? I didn't see him eat anything different then anyone else…"

"No, Rick, not food poisoning. We got the antidote from the jeweler. It must've been something put on the jewel he made, or on the case itself. It must've absorbed through his skin, and poisoned his blood."

"But Ardeth said he could trust that guy!"

"Hut-waret," Safti practically snarled. "He must've threatened the jeweler."

"Or maybe the guy didn't even know," said Evy. "Maybe one of his men slipped in and put the stuff on the case while he was making the fake stone."

"He was watched," said Safti. 

"Did any—shhh," she soothed to Ardeth, who'd cried out in pain.

Everyone was quiet as Evy calmed him. 

"I hope the antidote works faster then the poison did," said Rick, breaking the silence.

Evy checked Ardeth's pulse, and didn't like how it felt. "I hope it _works_," she said. 

************

There was no change in Ardeth's condition until 2am, when he fell asleep. They all hoped it was a good sign; that the antidote was working and had lessened his pain so that he _could_ sleep. No one voiced the thought that he may've simply lost consciousness. 

"Evy," said Rick, quietly. 

"Yes?"

Rick hesitated, as if he didn't want to say what he was about to. "How do you know that really was the antidote?"

Evy paused, in wiping Ardeth's face with cool water.

Safti and Jonathan looked at Rick, in shock.

"We don't have any proof that it _was_ the antidote, it could've been something worse! Tell me this," said Rick. "If it was the antidote, how did the jeweler get it?"

Evy looked at him, fear written all over her face. "Oh, Rick!" She grabbed Ardeth's wrist, feeling his pulse for the hundredth time. "He—he doesn't seem any worse."

No one said anything for a minute, until Safti sighed. 

"All we can do is wait," he said.

************

And wait they did. Rick, Safti, and Evy stayed up all night. Jonathan tried to, but he kept dozing off. They'd told the Med-jai that they'd given Ardeth the antidote, and that he was sleeping; with hopes that the warriors would get some sleep themselves. There was, after all, still a battle ahead of them. If they were to win it, they needed to be ready. 

By morning, it seemed that it _had_ been the antidote after all; to everyone's relief Ardeth's fever was lower. Around noon, he woke up.

Evy had been dozing when she heard Rick say Ardeth's name. He sounded surprised.

She looked at him, and saw that his eyes were open —halfway, at least— and he was looking at them. 

Evy smiled, touched his arm. "Thank God! How do you feel?"

He didn't answer, lying there blinking, looking confused.

"Ardeth?" said Rick. 

"What…happened?" Ardeth asked, barely a whisper. 

"You were poisoned," said Safti. "Something on the Stone's case."

Ardeth looked at him, shocked. "But I am…alive," he said, as if countering Safti's statement.

"Evy got the antidote, from the jeweler," said Rick, suddenly realizing that it had been a good thing after all that they'd left her in Cairo. If not, the poison would've killed him!

"The jeweler is dead, Ardeth," said Evy. "I can only guess Hut-waret killed him."

Ardeth's eyes had been closing sleepily, until Evy mentioned that name. He opened them, looked at Safti.

"How long?" he asked.

"Only a day; you fell ill yesterday."

Ardeth sighed. "I am sorry, sadiqi," he said, knowing Safti had to be very upset at the delay in saving his wife.

Safti shook his head. "It is not your fault."

Adranji stuck his head into the tent, saw that Ardeth was awake. "My Chief!" he said, smiling. Then he disappeared, and they could hear him yelling to the others in Arabic. 

"Opps," said Jonathan. "I guess someone should've told them."

************

"Are you _crazy_?"

Ardeth looked at Rick, as he stood next to his horse. The motion made him dizzy, and he fought not to show it. "I need to go."

"No you don't! You _can't_." 

Ardeth sighed as he looked at Rick and Safti; his second-in-command having the same look on his face as his American friend. Trying not to make it look like he was leaning on the horse, Ardeth tried to reason with them. "Hut-waret obviously intended for this poison to kill me before the meeting. He will not expect to see me there."

"But Ardeth—" 

The Med-jai chief sighed. "Who is the leader here? I am going," he said, with a smile.

Rick gave up as Evy walked over to him, also looking worried. "He shouldn't go, he's in no shape," she whispered. 

Rick sighed. "I know. Don't worry, Evy, I'll keep an eye on him." 

She nodded. "I know you will. Don't forget to keep an eye on yourself too."

Rick smiled and kissed her, then mounted his horse. 

"Don't worry, Rick!" said Jonathan, putting an arm around his sister. "I'll take good care of our Evy!"

Rick smiled, shaking his head, knowing darn well Jonathan would do anything to stay away from the battle. He waved at them, and they galloped off.

"Well, old mum," said Jonathan, with a sigh. "I hope they get all the women back."

Evy nodded, watching her husband and the Med-jai getting smaller and smaller as they got further away. "I hope all the _men_ come back too."

************

"Jamal!"

Jamal heard his boss call him, and he strode over. "Yes?"

"They are coming, give it to me," said Hut-waret.

Jamal looked to the north, and saw a sea of black-clad horsemen. He dug into his pocket, and frowned. He checked his other pockets, and turned pale.

"Well?" Hut-waret said.

Jamal hastily checked all his pockets again, coming up empty.

"Jamal," Hut-waret said, menacingly. "Give me the antidote."

"I—I…"

"Find it! NOW!"

Jamal ran off, looking all over the place, terrified. _What did I do with it?_ He'd gone to the jeweler's place, and brought him a necklace to be repaired. When the jeweler turned he'd poured the poison onto the case he knew the Med-jai's Stone was kept in. He'd come back later and thanked the jeweler for helping them, telling him the whole story. The jeweler had been devastated to learn that he had been the instrument for Ardeth's demise. To add to the jeweler's misery, Jamal had showed him the antidote that Ardeth would never get. Then he'd shot him, left, and gone back to their campsite. He distinctly remembered putting the antidote back into his pocket in the shop, before he'd shot the jeweler. 

Jamal stopped dead, realizing that after he'd shot the man, he'd fallen into him before hitting the floor. He must've gotten the antidote out of his pocket! 

_ _

He turned to see Hut-waret staring at the Med-jai, who were very close now, close enough for Jamal to see who was riding in front. _I'm dead,_ he thought.

Ardeth and his Med-jai stopped in front of Hut-waret's campsite. Ardeth took out the case with a piece of cloth, and threw it at his enemy.

Hut-waret automatically reached out to catch it, but then remembered the poison and the case flopped around in his hands like a hot potato before Hut-waret let it fall to the sand. He looked up at Ardeth with anger; anger that the Med-jai was still alive—obviously having received the antidote—and anger that he'd been caught red handed, his behavior at touching the case making it obvious. _Darn that Jamal! If the Med-jai don't kill him _I_ will!_he thought. He'd planned on waving the antidote in the Med-jai's faces, after Ardeth would've been dead. He sighed and picked up the case with a handkerchief and opened it. Inside was a beautiful jewel. He took it out and held it up in the sun, where it sparkled.

"Very nice," he said.

Ardeth noticed Safti growing anxious. "Now, uphold your end of the bargain."

Hut-waret smiled. "_My_ end?"

Safti made a sound heard only by Ardeth, and his horse took a step forward. 

Ardeth held out his arm towards Safti, as if telling him to remain where he was.

"Hut-waret, you wanted the Stone in exchange for our women. Now you have it."

Hut-waret made a motion with his left hand, and a couple men went into a small tent. They came back dragging a woman with them.

Safti gasped. "Suhaylah!" he yelled.

Rick felt his heart sink. Out of all the Med-jai women, Hut-waret had picked Safti's wife to make an example of. _Oh God, no! Don't let him kill her_…

Suhaylah stood there grasping the arm that was around her throat. She felt the knife against her skin, and tried to communicate to her husband through a look. 

Safti seemed to understand, for he nodded at her slightly.

"You harm that woman and I will kill you where you stand!" Ardeth said.

Hut-waret laughed. "I told you I wanted the Euphrates Stone. This is not it. Therefore, the bargain is forfeit, and so are the lives of your women."

He started to turn to his man holding the woman, to tell him to kill her, when he suddenly heard a yelp come from behind him, and saw Suhaylah drop to the sand and roll away from the man who was looking at her in surprise, as _she_ now held the knife. 

Safti yelled the Med-jai war cry and attacked, as did the rest of them. 

Rick was taken by surprise, for he hadn't seen the look that had passed between Safti and Suhaylah. He looked around for Ardeth, not seeing him. One of Hut-waret's men came running towards him and he shot him dead. He kicked his horse into a gallop and rode into the fray, shooting men as he looked for his friend, who he knew would not be able to fight with his usual ease.

Rick spotted Safti and Suhaylah fighting side by side, and he was impressed with the strength of the Med-jai woman. Safti kept yelling to her, and she was ignoring him. He had a feeling what was going on, it reminded him of himself and Evy. _"Evy, get out of here!" "No way, Rick!" _

Rick finally saw Ardeth, fighting with Hut-waret. 

Ardeth was losing the fight. 

Rick jumped off his horse, as someone attacked him. Rick punched the man in the face, knocking him cold. He saw Suhaylah running towards a large tent that was behind the others, probably housing the women. He ran towards Ardeth; saw Safti doing the same. 

************

Ardeth and Hut-waret's scimitars were locked together, each of them trying to push them towards the other. Ardeth nearly gasped with the effort, trying to keep the weapons from his throat, which they were getting dangerously close to. 

"You can't beat me!" Hut-waret laughed, seeing Ardeth's lack of strength; the sweat on his face, the fatigue.

Ardeth knew that he would not survive this unless he did something fast, and he suddenly let go and dropped to the sand, rolling to the side and coming up with his scimitar to block Hut-waret's next blow. His utter exhaustion caused him to do it too slowly and he was still on his back when Hut-waret reached him. He blocked the blow, and kicked Hut-waret's legs out from under him. 

Hut-waret hadn't expected that and went down in surprise, giving Ardeth a chance to get up.

Ardeth's whole body screamed at him as he tried to get up quickly, and he noticed scattered pains where he'd gotten a few slashes. He stumbled backwards a step as his vision started to cloud over. _No, _he thought,_ not now. _He managed to blink most of it away, but before he'd even started to get his breath back Hut-waret was up and attacking him again. He blocked blow after blow as Hut-waret, with a maniacal look on his face, forced him back. Ardeth's strength seeped out of him faster and faster, and when he was sure he was about to die the tide suddenly turned. Safti came out of nowhere and immediately jumped into the battle, getting Hut-waret away from his weakened chieftain. Their battle lasted only a few seconds before Hut-waret was lying on the sand, bleeding profusely. 

Ardeth tried to keep from staggering as he walked over to Hut-waret, and took the real Stone out of his pocket. He held it in Hut-waret's face, and said, "Was death really worth this?" He tossed it down, onto Hut-waret's chest, who died looking at it. 

Ardeth turned from the body and started to walk, but suddenly found himself on his knees in the sand. He felt hands holding onto him; saw that they belonged to Rick and Safti. They helped him up and he saw the happy crowd of Med-jai warriors hugging their wives and sisters. Ardeth saw with relief that none of his men had lost their lives that day, having had much motivation to fight well. 

Suhaylah broke the hug with her brother Adranji, and ran over, into Safti's arms. 

"Suhaylah," Safti whispered, with tears in his eyes, as he hugged her tightly. "Suhaylah!"

************

Evy and Jonathan were overjoyed to see the Med-jai come into view. They jumped on their horses and rode out to meet them. 

"Rick!"

Rick dismounted and opened his arms as Evy jumped into them. "I'm so glad you're all right!" she said.

"Me too," he said, with a laugh. "We _all_ are." 

Evy looked up to see Ardeth on his horse, and she smiled at him. He looked like he'd been dragged through the desert by a camel, but he was alive. He gave her a tired smile in return. 

Evy saw a woman on Safti's horse with him, realizing it was his wife. 

Suhaylah knew who Evy was, having seen her when they'd been at the Med-jai camp over the years, although they'd never actually spoken. She gave Evy a big smile, which Evy returned.

"I say," said Jonathan. "That wasn't so bad."

Everyone looked at him, and more then a few of them groaned as they urged their horses back to a walk.

************

At the Med-jai camp, the spirits were high. Everyone was elated that everything had gone right this time. Not only did they get all the women back safely, but none of the warriors had been hurt badly, they still had the Euphrates Stone, and Ardeth was alive.

Evy sighed happily, as they sat around a fire. She was nestled in Rick's arms, watching the flames. She could see Safti and his wife sitting by themselves a little way off, in each other's arms, staring at the stars. She heard a sigh, looked up at Ardeth. 

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He looked at her and nodded, looking very worn out. "I am relieved that it is over."

Evy nodded.

"So are we," said Rick. 

They heard a laugh, looked to see Jonathan talking to a Med-jai woman who was looking at him oddly. He apparently saw the she wasn't interested, said a quick goodbye and walked back over to his family at the fire. He plopped down next to Ardeth, and nodded towards Safti and his wife. 

"Aren't they the perfect couple."

Ardeth nodded. "Yes. Safti and Suhaylah love each other very much."

There was silence for a second, and then Evy suddenly gasped and busted out laughing.

Rick and Jonathan looked at her. "What?" Rick asked.

"Her name is 'Suhaylah'? Are you serious?" she asked Ardeth.

He nodded, with a smile.

She kept laughing, a hand covering her mouth.

"What? What does it mean?" Rick asked.

"It means 'soft'!"

"Soft?"

Rick and Jonathan busted out laughing along with her. 

"'Softy' and 'Soft'! Mr. and Mrs. Softy! That's bloody hysterical!" Jonathan said.

Ardeth nodded, laughing too. He put his hand in his pocket. "I want you to keep this." 

He handed Evy the Stone.

She quickly stopped laughing. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "It will be safe with you, no one will ever know you have it."

Evy nodded as she took it. "Let us know if you ever need it again."

He smiled. "Let us hope that I never do."

She nodded, and snuggled closer to Rick. She looked at Safti and Suhaylah again, who were hugging like they'd never let go of each other. She thought how wonderful it was to be in the arms of a loving husband, and she wondered how she could ever live without Rick. She lifted her head up and kissed Rick on the nose.

"What was that for?" he asked, with a smile.

"Nothing."

THE END

'sabah al-hayri':Arabic for 'good morning'

'shukran':Arabic for 'thank you'

'sadiqi':Arabic for 'my friend'

*'Softy' is what Rick called Safti in 'Wrath's Return', because that's what his name sounded like to him, lol.


End file.
